Holding Onto My Man

Chapter 55

As Gu Bai fell into his imagination, thinking of all the improper and questionable things the emperor were to do to him, Emperor Tianchen carried Gu Bai’s embarrassed self to his inner chamber. He personally bathed Gu Bai, dried his fur, and carried him to bed merely to sleep.

After that, Gu Bai came to his senses. He couldn’t help but suddenly want to spurn himself. Gu Bai, ah, Gu Bai. You think way too highly of yourself. There needs to be a limit. Have you even seen your current appearance? What are you even thinking?!

After he spurned himself, he no longer felt as embarrassed. He stared at Emperor Tianchen’s face and thought for a while. Then he curled up in a ball and succumbed to slumber by the emperor’s chest. The bodies of Yao could cultivate on their own when the Yao were asleep.

Currently, he was still a dog. No matter how one spoke of it, it didn’t matter. He was still a dog. So why not cultivate to a human form? Once he had more power, then they could talk about it further...

Although Gu Bai knew Emperor Tianchen was a great and capable ruler from the plot, after meeting this emperor face-to-face he learned this: Emperor Tianchen was an innate emperor.

Apart from natural disasters, he managed everything else extremely well. He could strategize and instruct others from afar. It was only toward natural disasters that this innate emperor could not do much.

In fact, in a short amount of time, Gu Bai realized that this Emperor Tianchen was a bit different from that of the plot.

On the surface, he seemed to favor Consort Ru an immense amount, and even promoted and conferred her the rank of Noble Consort. He seemed to only favor her in the imperial harem. But in reality, Emperor Tianchen did not seem to be obsessed with her like he had been in the plot.

One could see the emotions of a person from their eyes. Whenever Consort Ru was mentioned, Emperor Tianchen’s gaze was apathetic. Gu Bai was certain Emperor Tianchen did not like her as much as he had appeared to on the surface.

Rather, Gu Bai felt this: that Emperor Tianchen solely favored her in the harem gave off the impression he wanted to use her as a shield.

After he had realized this, a wave of relief washed over him. As long as Emperor Tianchen did not fall for Consort Ru’s bewitchment, everything would be a lot easier.

Emperor Tianchen did not truly love her, but Consort Ru yearned for him. Once she had heard the news today, she dressed to the nines before rushing to the imperial gardens, in hopes of coincidentally bumping into the emperor.

“This concubine greets Your Majesty...”

The moment he had heard her voice, Gu Bai could not help but shiver from the plot’s elements of torture and death by maltreatment. Then he turned his head to see her.

Several days had passed since he last chanced upon her sight, and Consort Ru was even more beautiful than before. As if she were not affected by the punishment that the system had dealt. It was evident that she definitely achieved other missions, receiving rewards that enhanced her appearance. Her appearance did not seem real, as if someone used many filters in their phone to make their selfies look perfect.

“En...”

Emperor Tianchen glanced at her. Lightly nodded. Then he didn’t pay attention to her anymore, as though the peerless beauty before him were something like a porcelain vase. An inanimate object. He continued to feed Gu Bai osmanthus cake.

Gu Bai originally had a sweet tooth. The imperial chefs had worked hard to make all of the dimsum and dishes in the imperial palace. As such, they were naturally delicious. Gu Bai quickly retracted his attention from Consort Ru, stuck out a tongue to bring the osmanthus cake into his mouth, and closed his eyes as he ate.

Such an indulgent appearance caused the previously expressionless Emperor Tianchen to reveal a smile. He wasted no time in bringing a teacup before Gu Bai’s mouth for a drink, concerned that Gu Bai would choke on his food.

“Don’t eat so much at once. There’s still the noon meal coming up. If you eat too much dimsum, you won’t have an appetite for more things later...”

Then Emperor Tianchen held Gu Bai to his chest in a hug. And he rubbed his belly to help him digest.

Gu Bai really enjoyed it, moving to have his belly face up, giving the emperor better access. Because of his dog instincts, he stuck out his tongue to lick the emperor’s inner wrist, showcasing his affection and happiness. It caused the emperor’s smile to grow.

Don’t just talk about Consort Ru, but even the palace maids and eunuchs nearby stood blinded by the sight. Never had they seen such a tender and pampering appearance from the emperor.

Who in the palace didn’t know that the emperor was cold-blooded, cruel, and merciless? Case in point, the schemes he used to ascend the throne. The fact that he was able to kill all of his many brothers except for Prince Rui was a testament to this. And he only left Prince Rui alive because the latter was lucky enough to be his full-blooded brother.

“Your Majesty certainly favors the puppy. Even this concubine feels jealous by the sight...”

Consort Ru contained her surprise. Emperor Tianchen only concerned himself with taking care of the dog and paid her no mind. She could only thicken her skin and take the initiative to talk to the emperor as she approached him. Her voice was gentle and pleasant to the ear, manner lithe and graceful. A peerless beauty.

However, Emperor Tianchen’s gaze remained on the small white dog, who was hugged close to his chest. Her graceful bearing was in vain. Yet Gu Bai felt her approach, and his fur stood erect.

He was half frightened and half angrily growling toward Consort Ru as he turned to her. And then he barked twice. With him around, this woman and her system better not try to get close to his man!

Gu Bai barked loudly, but because he was a Yao, he still kept the appearance of a puppy even though his body was already hundreds of years old, and he didn’t seem threatening at all.

Consort Ru had not once placed him in her eyes. She continued to smile charmingly at Emperor Tianchen. “Your Majesty has not visited this concubine in so long. The weather is good today. This concubine will accompany your honored self to admire the flowers...”

What did she mean by a long time? That Emperor Tianchen had never actually favored her before!

Her system had already told her that if she delayed in receiving the emperor’s love and stepping into the position of empress, she would definitely suffer punishment.

But this Emperor Tianchen was like an impotent man before such a high-grade beauty, showing no reaction. If this weren’t the case, she would not have to find another path and seduce Prince Rui into wanting to seize the crown.

But whether Emperor Tianchen was the true Son of Heaven, with a strong reserve of Dragon Qi, his downfall could not happen in a flash. The system needed to absorb this Dragon Qi. She did not want to approach Emperor Tianchen, this bizarre existence!

“Wait a moment. Don’t come over. Bai doesn’t like the smell of rouge and makeup. Your scent is suffocating him...” The moment she arrived at the steps of the gazebo, Empero Tianchen suddenly furrowed his brows as he stroked Gu Bai’s back.

Once those words had left his lips, Consort Ru’s expression immediately stiffened. At that moment, she felt angry, the urge to cuss and a sense of absurdity sparking in her chest.

Holy crap. This old lady, a beauty that shook the heavens and earth, is actually disliked because of a dog! Disliked disliked disliked!!!

Gu Bai immediately felt overjoyed at Consort Ru’s inner rampage. He put on a show of force, barking at her twice. Then he turned, arching and twisting his body in Emperor Tianchen’s chest, his little tail wagging. It attracted the emperor’s attention even more.

After Emperor Tianchen caught sight of this, a low laugh escaped his lips. He rubbed Gu Bai’s head. Lifted Gu Bai by the armpits. He brought him close and kissed his little nose, and a smile graced his lips once more. This little guy was a very jealous sort.

“Your Majesty, this puppy is dirty. It has many fleas...” As she witnessed such an affectionate scene between a man and a dog, the veins on Consort Ru’s forehead bulged. She couldn’t help but advise the emperor, unhappy once again.

This Emperor Tianchen truly had something wrong with his brain. He did not kiss her, such a high-grade beauty, but kissed a dog instead! This old lady can’t even compare to a dog!

Meanwhile, the moment Gu Bai had heard Consort Ru’s words, he stopped wagging his tail. He quickly turned around. Stared at her with fire in his eyes.

What was this lady saying? She actually said he was dirty! How was he dirty? He was the world’s cleanest spirit dog. You’re the one that’s filthy!

Ever since he had turned into a dog, Gu Bai’s temperament became more rash. Especially since the previous host was scared of and hated Consort Ru. As soon as he saw her, he could not help but want to pounce at her and bite her. He naturally could not stay calm.

“Woof!”

Air rushed out of Gu Bai’s nostrils. Furious, he jumped off Emperor Tianchen’s arms. All they could see was a streak of white, and Gu Bai pounced onto Consort Ru. He raised his two front paws like a human and clawed at her head.

Of course, he knew that even if he had scratched her face, her system would heal it. It wouldn’t harm her much. However, it was also good to give her a lesson to not appear so often in front of Emperor Tianchen, especially to distract her striving efforts.

“Ah, someone quickly take this little beast away! My face...”

Never had Consort Ru thought Gu Bai would pounce at her. She was frightened to the bone.

Although she had a system, the system could only make her beautiful. Her body was still that of a normal person. Even though Gu Bai was a puppy Yao that had yet to cultivate a human form, his movements were very nimble.

After a few swipes of the paws, there were a few scratches on Consort Ru’s face. She screamed. The moment Gu Bai had been right at her face, her system went alert. As if trying to absorb spiritual energy from Gu Bai.

Gu Bai was struck with fear. He instinctively felt like there was something trying to threaten him. As if something was being absorbed from him. He was so scared that he turned tail and ran. And he jumped into Emperor Tianchen’s chest again, breathing heavily.

What the hell was that Consort Ru’s system? He had only been close to her for a bit and it already sucked his spiritual energy!

Fearful after what had happened, Gu Bai barked at Consort Ru. Then he rubbed his head against Emperor Tianchen’s chest. He lifted his little head. In his eyes, a pitiful look. He whined, as if he had been wronged.

Emperor Tianchen noticed that Gu Bai’s fur seemed to have fallen dull. And his smile quickly disappeared, a cold expression replacing it.

With scratches marring her face, Consort Ru was simply livid. As such, she did not notice the change in Emperor Tianchen’s expression. Swiftly, she shot a glance at the palace maid by her side.

The palace maid rushed to Emperor Tianchen. “Your Majesty, this little beast is very fierce. So little yet he can already assault people. He even scratched up Her Highness’ face. He cannot be kept. Your honored self must give Her Highness justice. If the injuries scar, what should we do—”

That palace maid had yet to finish speaking, when Gu Bai whined. He stuck out his head and licked Emperor Tianchen’s hand to please him. After he had finished his licking, he lightly bit Emperor Tianchen’s finger, sliding his teeth on it. Then he sucked the finger, showing that he would hurt anyone but the emperor.

How could Emperor Tianchen not understand what he meant? In the first place, he could not bear to have this little guy suffer any wrongs. Right now, Xiao Bai was ingratiating itself with him this much, and his icy face could not help but reveal a smile.

Emperor Tianchen hugged him tightly to his chest. Then his gaze fell upon Consort Ru and her palace maid, once again recovering its chill and tyrannical light.

“Bai isn’t a beast. He’s my treasure. When did Zhen’s matters require a palace maid’s meddling? Drag her out for execution! After being granted much favor, Consort Ru has grown arrogant. She will be caned fifty times, demoted one rank, and put on house arrest for three months...”

“Your Majesty...” Consort Ru’s face paled, revealing disbelief. If a palace maid died, so be it. She did not lack attendants. But after she was struck fifty times with a rod, even if she didn’t die, she’d have half a life left. His Majesty actually punished her like this for a dog! Was this a joke?!

Because Emperor Tianchen used the word “treasure” to refer to him, Gu Bai was ecstatic. He stuck out his tongue at her, wriggling in Emperor Tianchen’s arms. He sniffed and barked happily.

His act of sticking out his tongue was too similar to a human’s. Consort Ru’s face froze. Then, she grew so angry that her cheeks flushed. What the fuck? This dog just looked like it was showing off right? Right? RIGHT?!

Furious, Consort Ru wanted to say more, but the imperial guards nearby had already come over. With not a hint of pity or tenderness toward the fairer sex, they dragged her away for the caning. The emperor’s order was more important than the name of this pampered imperial concubine.

Once she had been dragged away, Emperor Tianchen’s face changed like a Bian Lian act, back to a gentle and tender expression. He softly hugged Gu Bai and planted many kisses on his cheeks. A low laugh escaped his lips.

“Don’t worry. Zhen will be biased toward you. You are not a puppy. You are Zhen’s Bai. Zhen’s treasure. The favored imperial concubines cannot compare to you...”

“Woof, woof!”

Pleased by these words, Gu Bai couldn’t help but bark excitedly, tail swaying in a frenzy. He stuck out his tongue and licked Emperor Tianchen’s cheeks.

The moment his warm and wet tongue brushed over the other party’s lips, Emperor Tianchen’s eyes darkened. His hold on Gu Bai tightened. Then he leaned closer and kissed him on the lips.

Such intimate actions excited Gu Bai, body and tail curling up once more.

He covered his mouth with two paws, before breaking free from Emperor Tianchen’s arms. Then he wiggled into the Emperor Tianchen’s placket. The only thing that could be seen now was a small butt and a little swaying tail, an expression of embarrassment.

The surrounding eunuchs and palace maids widened their eyes. Then they averted their gazes, feeling awkward and finding it strange.

Never had they seen a puppy that acted so much like a human. This person was the ruthless, cold-blooded, and unfeeling emperor. The sun must had risen from the west today!

“Your Majesty, you...”

Tears flowed from the general manager’s eyes. He was Emperor Tianchen’s personal attendant, an old eunuch that had attended to him for many years. Others might not, but he understood this emperor the most.

Three thousand beauties in the imperial harem, yet His Majesty did not even have a little princess up until now. It wasn’t that the imperial concubines were barren. Rather, His Majesty wasn’t working hard. The general manager had long since suspected that His Majesty had some other underlying issues.

But now, he was certain this was the case!

He did not touch a harem full of warm and fragrant imperial concubines, yet was like this with a dog. What “treasure?” The general manager’s brain was about to shut down...

Gu Bai and Emperor Tianchen, man and puppy, had been unbearably sticky toward each other. Once Consort Ru, who had been caned and sent back to her residence, learned of this, she felt like vomiting blood.

She had been unable to see Emperor Tianchen today. Because of a dog, she had been caned. This was really eight lives’ worth of terrible luck. She actually was so unlucky, transmigrating into the imperial concubine of such an insane emperor!

After lying aggrieved in bed for a while, she exchanged her accumulated points with her system to repair her body. Then, she finally calmed down.

The system continuously told her to get close to the emperor and absorb his Dragon Qi. She already possessed a perfect appearance, yet Emperor Tianchen was still indifferent to her charms. Now, she could not even compare to a dog in the other’s heart. How could she complete her task?

Whenever she thought of Emperor Tianchen’s cold and ruthless appearance, she felt like giving up.

However, after she had signed a contract with the system, her ultimate mission was to become the empress and absorb the Dragon Qi. If she were to fail, she’d be heavily punished!

Before ascending the throne, Prince Rui would not have any Dragon Qi. And the true emperor, Emperor Tianchen, did not give her an opportunity. She was running out of time. If she made no progress, she might face a terrible outcome.

Thinking to this point, Consort Ru once again calmed herself and started to formulate a plan. It was just a puppy. Could a favored imperial concubine like herself really be inferior to a dog...?